Q: What kind of power plant does MSU have?

A: Michigan State University has a co-generation plant, the T.B. Simon Power Plant, which generates all the electrical power for the university. The plant relies primarily on coal for its source of fuel. It supplies all the heat to campus by steam lines. In the summer, the steam is used to run refrigeration units for air conditioning. Since MSU has a co-generating power plant, we use the steam both to make electricity and to heat and cool many of our campus buildings. Since the 1980's, we've been increasing our use of steam for producing electricity.

Q: How efficient is the Power Plant?

A: The T. B. Simon Power Plant can produce 1.3 million pounds of steam per hour and 100 megawatts, making it one of the top 500 generating plants in America. The co-generation system operates at approximately 60 percent efficiency, as compared to a conventional electric plant operating at 30 percent efficiency. Having our own power plant kept MSU's main campus from losing power during the Northeast Blackout of 2003, which affected 50 million people across Canada and the United States.

Q. How is the coal used? How much coal does MSU burn each year?

A: Coal is dumped from an automatic scale in 200-pound batches into the mills where it is ground to a fineness resembling baby powder. The crushed coal is conveyed pneumatically using primary combustion into the furnace side of the boiler. The boilers are about four stories high. Secondary combustion air is blown up the center to keep the coal stirred up and the ash off the walls. After the steam is superheated, it enters the turbines. Steam leaves the power plant through a steam tunnel. Approximately 250,000 tons of coal are burned each year.

Q: What are some of the other features of the power plant?

A: There are four boilers inside the Power Plant, and two steam lines. We have two steam lines to ensure that, in case one line needs to be serviced, the campus will never be without heat.

Q: How does the Power Plant use natural gas?

A: The Power Plant's use of natural gas is based on the cost of fuels, the need to meet demands during periods of coal system unavailability, and the maintenance of plant combustion stability. MSU's recent expansion of a gas turbine, heat recovery steam generator, and steam turbine was recently awarded the 2007 Pacesetter Plant Award from Combined Circle Journal for its high-efficiency and clean production.

Q: Where can I find detailed information about the air emissions from the MSU Power Plant?

A: Reports on the air emissions from the MSU Power Plant are available at the Department of Environmental Quality's website. The DEQ uses the Michigan Air Emissions Reporting System (MAERS) for its reporting. For a listing of the power plant emissions reports going back to 1999, click here.

Q: How are MSU's water needs met?

A: The Michigan State University campus is situated in the Red Cedar watershed and is home to a number of surface water bodies. The university's water needs are supplied by the Saginaw Aquifer, a deep sandstone formation that lies beneath much of central Michigan's Lower Peninsula. This water is used for drinking, washing, bathing, irrigation, and steam to make electricity and to heat and cool the campus infrastructure. Water quality measurements are performed regularly and our water meets or exceeds all State of Michigan and EPA standards.

Q. How does MSU's water treatment process like?

A: Water from the 18 wells is pumped to the reservoir, except for water used for irrigation at the farms and golf courses. From the reservoir it is sent around campus for the various buildings. The steam that is fed to the campus returns as condensate and is cleaned up and fed into the open feedwater preheater. The campus acts like a condenser for the power plant, and it is getting heat without having to maintain furnace or boiler equipment for each building. MSU is not near a large enough body of water to pull cooling water from it. We are not permitted (and would not want) to raise the temperature of the Red Cedar river. Therefore, we have to use some of the power we generate to run cooling towers to chill the water. Cooling towers are the large, industrial-looking rectangular structures that you often see water vapor emanating from at all times of the year. If you drive by the Power Plant you will see them across from the power plant, on the north side of Service Road. Water Treatment Ion exchange is used to treat inlet water to remove anions and cations. Cation exchange units use ion exchange resins, working on the same principles as home water softeners. After pretreatment, the inlet water passes through the open feedwater preheaters (deaerators).

Q. What is MSU's Physical Plant doing about "green" energy?

A: The MSU Power Plant is working toward a greener way to produce energy and improve emissions. For several months people at the MSU Power Plant have been studying the possibilities of a new biomass fuel facility with a company that has previously built these new facilities, N-Viro. The idea of using a biomass fuel is to use existing technology to sanitize municipal bio solids and various organic waste products and then converting these waste products in reusable products.

There are a number of plants in the United States which N-Viro has opened, but not one that does the entire process. N-Viro has been negotiating with Michigan State University to build the first fully functioning biomass fuel plant on Michigan State's campus adjacent to the current T.B. Simon Power Plant. By placing this facility on Michigan State's campus it would provide an alternative energy source to work collaboratively with the co-existing coal burning facility. This will in turn create a cleaner, more eco-friendly energy provider.

Q. How is MSU's Physical Plant helping to protect water supplies?

A: MSU's Wellhead Protection Plan was approved by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality in 2000 and updated in 2006. In addition, MSU has been designated a Groundwater Guardian (GG) community by the Groundwater Foundation since 2001. GG is a national program that recognizes communities for proactive groundwater protection activities.